Tackling some of what the worst winter storms inflicts has National Grid “hot stick” workers preparing for the chilly reality of living in the Northeast.
Mike Pommer, chief line mechanic hot stick for National Grid, displayed how utility crews replace old porcelain insulators with modern polymer ones at company’s training facility in Schenectady on Tuesday, Nov. 19. The porcelain insulators will develop cracks, which Pommer believes is mostly caused from being in the elements.
Pommer said the old technology was probably “state-of-the-art” when it was installed, but when he started working on lines 24 years ago they were the standard.
“We are trying to increase our reliability, so we are changing them out of all of our disconnect cut-out boxes,” Pommer said. “With our new cut-out box they are not failing, they are not cracking, so through all the weather … customers lights don’t go out.”
Pommer said the company has been “very proactive” in changing out the older technology and not waiting until the lights go out.
“We are trying to change them before they fail,” he said. “We are going around through all our circuits and changing them out, and it has increased reliability a lot. We would get quite a few calls of people (without electricity), and it was due to these cracking and failing.”
Pommer said the upgrade has made a “really big” difference in reliability, but it also creates safer conditions for line workers to work in. When this equipment fails, he said there can be a “big flash” and “quite a fault.”
Another upgrade the company has been doing is installing guards over wires to prevent animals from involuntarily short-circuiting electricity. Pommer said this has proven effective at reducing such occurrences. There are also some wires with thicker coating surrounding it, called “tree wires,” that helps reduce wires breaking.
“I have seen it where a tree limb will lay across all three wires, and nothing will happen,” Pommer said. “The insulation will protect the circuit from going out, and they have been very proactive in doing that a lot, too.”
Pommer said it is a lot tougher to “skin” the wire during work, but there are new tools used to ease the process. The wire is heavier though, so during an ice storm there is more weight on the wire. Construction design can help offset the added weight, he said.
National Grid started to upgrade its electric infrastructure in 2006, and plans to complete the effort in 2016. The company has committed more than $3 billion to perform the upgrades across upstate New York.
“Our first concern is the safety of the public and our employees,” Kenneth Daly, president of New York state for National Grid, said in a statement. “Then, our goal is restore electricity and gas service as quickly as possible.”
National Grid begins planning their response days before a forecasted severe weather event, which includes planning for additional outside crews, preparing to implement the Incident Command System to coordinate preparation and restoration, and consistently monitoring a storm determine where to position resources for response efforts.
The company also reaches out to area emergency management officials to discuss storm preparation and service restoration plans.
Customers have several ways to learn about service issues or interruptions during storms. National Grid provides real time information on its Outage Central map on its website, which can viewed at www1.nationalgridus.com/OutageCentral. For those with smartphones, there is also an app available for Apple and Android devices.
By text messaging the word “STORM” to 64743 (NGRID), customers can also sign up to receive text message alerts and updates. Email alerts are also available to customers who create an online profile on the company’s website.
Company emergency crews follow a “time-tested plan” to restore service as safely and quickly as possible. Damage surveys and resource estimates provide the forecasted time for service restoration.
Crews will first clear away any hazards, such as live, downed lines, but clean-up of storm-damaged trees and removed branches are the responsibility of the customer or property owner.
Workers then tackle repairing main transmission infrastructure including towers, poles and high-tension wires that deliver power from generating plants. Another high-priority is repairing local substations that feeds power to homes. Finally, neighborhood circuits, transformers and wires are repaired starting with the areas holding the most customers.
National Grid advises customers to be prepared for service interruptions. It’s a good idea to have a number of working flashlights, at least one battery-operated radio and an extra supply of batteries in your home. A radio is a good way to stay in touch, as National Grid provides news media with timely information regarding service restoration efforts.
Also, post National Grid’s emergency outage reporting number — 1-800-867-5222 — near your telephone so it will be handy if needed.